Question 2

Q2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

In the production we have constructed, the way we’ve presented our characters are very different. Our protagonist is a normal young adult who wouldn’t standout if you saw him on the street, kind of like our target audience. This was due to his ‘normal’ clothing of a navy jumper and black jeans, something most teens/students would wear daily. In a drastic contrast to the protagonist, the antagonist does stand out from the crowd and behaves like he’s mentally unstable. This is the kind of behaviour we associate with people who struggle to fit into society. He is instantly recognisable from his all black clothing, messy hair and the black around his eyes; which could signify he either self-harms or likes to wear make-up, either way it still isn’t normal behaviour for a man in British society.

I think that the characters are represented in a positive way which I think is a good thing because when you’re watching you’re not sure who will come out on top. With the protagonist being presented as a normal person it helps the audience to associate themselves with him and feel what it’s like to be in his boots. This is done by making the character feel real and not just an actor playing a part, the characters thought process is also important, as if he represents a particular social group then he has to think and behave like them. The antagonist is presented as a psychopath but he appears to have a positive mentality. This is evident when he says ‘You and me are going to have a lot of fun!’ to Jamie. The costume of the antagonist helps to distance the audience from associating themselves with him. One example is him wearing make-up, something considered strange and abnormal for a male to do.